Buell XR9S Lightning

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http://www.motorcyclespecs.co.za/index-test1.htm

Buell XR9S Lightning

Make Model.	Buell XR9S Lightning
Year	2003
Engine	45° V-Twin, four stroke, pushrod actuated overhead valve. hydraulic self-adjusting lifters, 2 valve per cylinder.
Capacity	984 cc / 60 cu in
Bore x Stroke	88.9 x 79.4 mm
Compression Ratio	10.0:1
Cooling System	Air cooled
Lubrication	Dry sump
Exhaust	Two-into-one, free breathing
Induction	Ø45 mm Downdraft DDFI fuel injection
Starting	Electric
Battery	12V, 12Ah
Max Power	67.1 kW / 92 hp @ 7200 rpm
Max Torque	97 Nm / 9.9 kgf-m / 71.5 ft.lbs @ 5500 rpm
Clutch	Wet, multi-plate
Transmission	5 Speed, constant mesh
Final Drive	Kevlar belt
Gear Ratios	1^st 2.69 / 2^nd 1.85 / 3^rd 1.43 / 4^th 1.18 / 5^th 1.00
Frame	Hollow aluminium twin-spar frame doubles as the fuel tank
Rake	21°
Trail	84 mm / 3.3"
Front Suspension	Showa upside-down forks, adjustable for preload, compression & rebound damping
Front Wheel Travel	119 mm / 4.7"
Rear Suspension	Showa shock absorber, adjustable for preload, compression & rebound damping
Rear Wheel Travel	127 mm / 5.0"
Front Brakes	ZTL-type brake, 6-piston fixed caliper, Ø375 mm single sided, inside out, stainless steel, floating rotor
Rear Brakes	Single Ø230 mm disc, 1 piston caliper
Wheels	6-Spoke cast
Front Rim	3.50 x 17"
Rear Rim	5.50 x 17"
Front Tyre	120/70 ZR17, Dunlop D207 FY
Rear Tyre	180/55 ZR17, Dunlop D207 U
Dimensions	Length: 1924 mm / 75.7" Width: 831 mm / 32.7" Height: 1232mm / 48.5"
Wheelbase	1320 mm / 52"
Ground Clearance	127 mm / 5.0"
Seat Height	775 mm / 30.5"
Dry Weight	175 kg / 386 lbs
GVWR	386 kg / 850 lbs
Oil Capacity	2.3 L / 2.5 qts
Fuel Capacity	14 L / 3.7 US gal
Consumption average	5.1 L/100 km / 19.6 km/l / 46.1 US mpg
Standing ¼ Mile	12.2 sec
Top Speed	210.2 km/h / 130.6 mph
Reviews	Motorcycle USA

The naked-bike class has become one of the most popular new segments of the motorcycle industry. The class rules are simple enough: Start with minimal amounts of bodywork so mechanical components such as the engine and frame on display, and make sure there’s a torquey engine and a rigid, capable chassis underneath.

Ducati spawned the naked sportbike genre with the Monster when they introduced the stripped down Monster at the 1992 Cologne Motor Show and it entered production the following year. The machine known as the M900 has gone on to become the most successful line of bike Ducati has ever offered, and it helped save the then-troubled company from extinction. Il Monstro remains the standard by which all other naked bikes are measured.

The naked bike movement also helped popularize saved another manufacturer: Buell. Led by innovator Erick Buell, his early offerings were slow to catch on. But in 1996, the hooligan S1 Lightning debuted, and the Harley-powered bikes gained a much wider audience.

Buell’s Lightning took a huge leap forward with the 2002 introduction of the XB9S Lightning. Buell took his “Trilogy of Technology” to a whole new level, keeping the design concepts of mass centralization, frame rigidity and lower unsprung weight at the forefront of its design. Most manufacturers follow a similar plan of attack when designing a new bike, but the XB9S is like nothing ever seen before.

Gone is the steel-tube frame of its predecessor, replaced instead by a a beefy aluminum technological marvel. What looks to be its fuel tank is actually just an airbox cover; the massive aluminum frame spars actually are the fuel cell, aiding Buell’s mass centralization intent. In a similar vein, the aluminum swingarm also doubles as the oil reservoir for the big air-oil cooled H-D V-Twin. Still not impressed? Take a look at the front wheel. Using the theory of Zero Torsion Load (ZTL), the XB9S is the first production bike to feature a huge brake rotor attached to the rim rather than the hub, with a single six-piston caliper providing the stopping power. This creative approach to braking allows for the construction of the wheel to be very light, which of course reduces unsprung weight.

The wiring on the Lightning might be the most tidy of any production bike. Every piece of vital electronics is concealed neatly beneath the seat. Unlike the Monster, there are very few pieces that look out of place. But that is where the really wonderful innovations end on the Lightning. The heart of the XB9S is a tuned-for-torque 998cc air-cooled, pushrod V-Twin, heavily revised from The Motor Company’s Sportster ramge. The marriage of H-D and Buell is laid out in the open for all the world to see.